


Voice

by pickleplum



Series: Owl and Dragon [19]
Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Brotherly Love, Brothers, GLaDOS - Freeform, Gen, Portal - Freeform, video games - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-18
Updated: 2014-06-18
Packaged: 2018-02-04 18:40:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1789156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pickleplum/pseuds/pickleplum
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Jaeger AI voice sounds familiar because of a pair of brothers couldn't resist the reference.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Voice

"So what's this new job you're doing? Something more exciting than teaching undergrads how to add?" Bastien teases.

Hermann rolls his eyes, feigning exasperation. "Really, _Hasi_ , if I was teaching them how to add, I'd have been in the wrong classroom all semester. But, yes, my new project is far more exciting. It's an operating system for the Jaegers the UN wants to build as well as an audiovisual interface between the pilot and the machine. It will also handle some of the basic support functions."

"Like an AI? You’re building an AI?"  
  
"It’s not a full-fledged AI."  
  
"So … more Siri, less GLaDOS?"  
  
Hermann chuckles. "Something like that."  
  
"I dare you to use Ellen McLain’s voice for your interface."

"That wouldn’t be appropriate."  
  
"But it would be badass."  
  
"This is serious."  
  
"Of course it is, but how does an in-joke compromise it? The voice has nothing to do with function and she’s easy to understand."  
  
"Yes, Bastien, because modelling the benign on the vicious has never proved disastrous. Remember that episode of _Doctor Who_? 'That which holds the image of an Angel becomes itself an Angel?'"  
  
"Manny! You promised never to mention the Angels again! That one Halloween, remember? I still break out in a cold sweat!"  
  
" **You** made me think of the perfect way to illustrate just how bad that idea is. The Angel Incident was also completely your own fault." Hermann sniffs derisively. "Bragging about how no costume could scare you."  
  
"I was **thirteen**!" Bastien whines. "You have a black hole instead of a heart."  
  
Hermann snorts.  
  
"Jerk. I still say you should do it. If it **does** turn on you, then you can say you've proved a theory. It's a win-win situation! Just don't equip it with deadly neurotoxin."  
  
"I don’t know … "  
  
"You’re tempted. I know that tone of voice."  
  
"… Fine. Fine. Have one of your digital design friends create a vocaloid for me. I’ll have it installed."  
  
"I can’t wait to hear the cockpit recordings."  
  
"Conn-pod. They’re called Conn-pods."  
  
"Whatever. This is going to be great."  
  
"Why do I always let you talk me into these things?"  
  
"Because you love me."  
  
Hermann sighs.

**Author's Note:**

> Beta-ed by artificiallifecreator, who also came up with a way to integrate the _Doctor Who_ quote, which comes from the episode "[The Time of Angels](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Time_of_Angels)."
> 
> For an idea of why Bastien is freaked out by the mention, may I present [the climax of the Angels first appearance](http://youtu.be/ByPrDPbdRhc), from the episode "Blink," which just so happens to have first aired on Hermann's eighteenth birthday, June 9, 2007. For the most part, the angels were played by women in costume and there are plenty of awesome cosplays of them out there, too.


End file.
